Cigar-cutter.



H. KOLLMAR.

CIGAR CUTTER. APPUCATION FILED MAY24 19Y8-1 1,294,479. Patented Feb. 18,1919.

IINITED STATES PATENT @FFCE.

HENRY KOLLIVIAR, OF IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO KOLLMAR, RAUGH & COMPANY, OF IRVINGION, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIGAR-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed May 24, 1918. Serial No. 236,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KoLLarAR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Irvington, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cigar cutter comprising a rotat ng knife and of flat and compact form which may be cheaply and easily constructed and which is eliicient in operation and does not readily get out of order.

' The invention further relates to the improvement of articles of the character referred to in a number of respects, and with the foregoing and related objects in view, my invention consists in the parts, improvements, combinations and features of construction herein set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification and wherein the same reference numerals ar uniformly made use of to designate the same parts throughout, I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, but it is to'be understood that the same is for the'purpose of illustration and not for limitation of the invention.

In said drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a cigar cutter closed, showing the working elements in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a rear plan view of the cigar cutter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cigar cutter partially opened. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 3 and showing the cigar cutter in completely opened position. Fig. 5 is a side view of the cigar cutter in open position. Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary plan views showing detail features of construction, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 88, Fig. 4.

The body of the cigar cutter is preferably formed of a pair of plates 10 and 11 mounted in sliding relation one to the other. In the form shown the late 10 slides in guideways 12 formed by bending over the sides of the plate 11, which may be formed somewhat wider than the plate 10 to provide laterally extending edge portions adapted to be bent over to form guideways 12, 12. Each of the plates 10 and 11 is preferably provided with a grasping means for operating he cu ter, in he form sho n the plates 10 and 11 are provided at their opposite ends with thumb or finger holes 13, 14 about which lining rings, as 15, 16, are placed whereby rounded grasping surfaces are provided and the appearance of the article is enhanced.

Stop means are provided for limiting the inward motion of the parts 10 and 11 with respect to one another, and in the form shown the plate 10 is provided with shoulders 17, 17 adapted to serve as such stop means by contact with the adjacent end portions 18, 18 of the plate 11. One of the plates 10 or 11 is provided with an aperture for receiving the end of a cigar to be cut off. In the form shown such aperture, designated by the reference numeral 19, is provided in the plate 11;

The cutting knife is disposed within the space provided between the overlapping plates 10 and 11 and preferably has the form of a rotary knife, designated by the reference numeral 20. Such knife preferably has a part circular beveled cutting edge 21 adapted to lie closely against the material of the plate 11 and to cut or shear the end of the cigar extending through the opening 19 with substantially a shearing action.

The knife 20 is caused to pass over the opening 19 as the plates 10 and 11 are pushed together and at the same time rotary movement is imparted thereto to secure an effective cutting or shearing action without tearing or fraying the cigar end or subjecting it to undue pressure. In the form shown the knife 20 is provided with two series of serrations or teeth at substantially the opposite sides thereof, the same being designated by the numerals 22 and 23. One of said series of teeth is adapted to engage with a rack formed on or secured to movewith one of the relatively movable plates, and the other series of teeth is adapted to engage or coact with a rack formed on or secured to move with the other of said plates. In the form shown the teeth 23 engage and cooperate with a rack member 24 secured to move with the member 11, the connection of the rack member 24 with the member 11 in the form shown being secured by means of studs 25, 25 on the member 24 projecting into or through openings 26, 26 provided therefor within one of the guideways 12, and the toothed portion 22 of the knife 20 engages with cooperating teeth 27 on a rack member 28 secured to the plate 10. In the form shown, the member 28 has a stud 29 formed at one end and adapted to enter a notch 30 at the edge of the plate 10 and a second stud 31 at the other end taking over the end portions 32 of the plate 10, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The knife 20, lying between the plates 10 and 11 and having the serrations or teeth thereof engaging with said rack members, is caused to rotate when the members 10 and 11 are moved relatively to one another and also serves to hold the racks 24 and 28 apart and to maintain the same with their engagement means, as studs 25, 25 and 29, 31, in engagement with the members 10 and 11 so as to move therewith.

Means are preferably provided for limiting the rotative movement of the knife 20 with respect to the rack members and to serve as a stop for outward or separating movement of the members 10 and 11, and in the form shown the rack 24 is provided with an inwardly projecting portion 33 adapted to enter a notch ea in the knife 20. Said projecting portion 33 preferably extends toward the center of the device to a greater distance than the rack serrations of the rack member 24-, and when the notch 34 of the knife has come into engagement therewith any further separating action of the members 10 and 11 serves to throw the knife forcibly against the rack member 28 and to'cause the knife to bind and thereby prevent further separating movement of the parts 10 and 11, without, liowever, interfering with the movement thereof in the opposite direction. Other forms of stop means may, of course, be provided for this purpose.

The member 10 is preferably cut away as shown at 35 so as to expose the cutting edge 21 of the knife 20 and to prevent interference with the cutting action by any portion of the member 10.

The operation of the device will be read ily understood from the'foregoing. Prior to assembly the guide portions 12, 12 of the plate 11 are preferably simply turned at right angles to such plate. The racks are located with respect to the plates by means of the holding lugs already referred to, and the knife is put in place, preferably in the position shown in Fig. 4, with the notch 34 therein engaging the projection 33. The guide edges'12, 12 are'now turned over and this completes the assembly, the lining rings 15, 16, when provided, being,of course,putin place in the plates 10 and 11 when the latter are formed. To operate the device the plates- 10- and 11 are drawn apart to substantially the position shown in Fig. 4:, the end of the cigar inserted through the opening 19' and the portions 10 and 11 pressed togetheras by meansof the finger and thumb otone hand inserted in the openings 13, 14 provided for that purpose. As the parts 10 and 11 move inwardly with respect to one another, the racks 2a and 28 share in the relatively endwise movement of such parts 10 and 11 thereby imparting rotation to the knife 20 by engagement with the serrations 22 and 23 thereof, and the cuttingedge 21 of the rotating knife 20 shears the projecting end of the cigar between it and the walls of the opening 19. The application of power at the opposite sides of the knife, which is not pivoted to either of the movable plates but is substantially floated bc tween the racks, affords ample operating leverage, and the knife is easily operated and does not bind in use. lVith such arrangement the hole 19 can be put in the center of the device, substantially as shown, which is the most convenient location for use and makes a desirably symmetric structure.

It will be seen that a cigar cutter constructed in accordance with the invention is simply and easily constructed, involves a minimum number of parts and may be read ily operated and is not readily gotten out of order. The working parts being substantially concealed may be made of metal such as steel well adapted for the purpose, while the exposed plates 10 and 11 may be made of other suitable metals, such as gold, silver or the like, making a handsome piece of jewelry.

Changes and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In a cigar cutter, a pair of flat members movable relative to one another, and a substantially floating rotatable flat disk'therebetween, said disk having a cutting edge and adapted to be rotated upon relative movement of said members.

2. In a cigar cutter, a pair of substantially flat relatively slidable members, a knife therebetween, and means applied to opposite edges of said knife whereby said knife is rotated and reciprocated upon sliding said members relatively to one another.

3. In a-cigar cutter, a pair of substantially fiat relatively sli'd'abl'e members, racks moving with said members respectively, and a knife having engagement with said racks whereby said knife is reciprocat'ed and r0- tated by relatively sliding movement of said members.

4. In a cigar cutter, a pair of substantially flat relatively slidable members, one whereof is provided with an aperture for receiving the end of a cigar, a substantially floating rotatable knife between said members. and means applied to opposite edges'of the float. ing knife whereby said knife is caused to pass over said hole and is rotated upon relativemovement of said members.

5. ins cigar cuttena pair of substantially flat relatively slidable members, each having a rack moving therewith, a knife having means at its edges to engage said racks and having a cutting edge located between said engaging means, and one of said racks having a projecting member adapted to enter a notch in the knife whereby the separating movement of said members with respect to one another is limited.

6. In a cigar cutter, a substantially flat plate, a second plate having turned over edges in which the first plate slides, rack members having lugs adapted to engage openings in said plates so as to move therewith, a knife between said plates and having means to engage said racks, a cutting edge between said engaging means, and one of said racks being provided with means for limiting the outward movement of said plates with respect to one another by engagement with said knife.

7. In a cigar cutter, a pair of substantially flat members, one whereof has turned over edges wherein the other member is received and adapted to slide, a knife in the space between said members and having substantially serrated edge portions, racks in the space between the members and adapted to move with the members respectively, said knife being adapted to be rotated and reciprocated by engagement of said racks with the serrated edge portions thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I hereto set my hand, this 23rd day of VMay,

HENRY KOLLMAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

